But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way

Daniel] 1:8

Talking about personal spiritual growth may be desirable and seem easy; but how could we get there? How do we weave through the scriptures to help us along the way? Is growth really possible or just illusionary? I want to suggest four things I believe we can do to help get us grow this year.

First: Consciously determine to grow (Dan. 1:8). Reading about Daniel’s exploits in Babylon and Persia sounds challenging. But what will you say was key for his growth to moral purity and integrity in a hostile environment?  I believe it started with Daniel determining to keep himself from defilement. That was a conscious decision to be holy and that set him on the path of growth. If you desire holiness, you have to commit everything necessary to the growth process. With such resolve submitted to the Holy Spirit (Prov. 3:5-6), you can make great strides this year.

Second: List your areas of struggle and make them your focal points of growth (Rm. 7:7-25). Sit down with your conscience and determine which areas of your life are dogging you. My struggles may not be yours, but we all have areas of fierce personal battles we can’t seem to surmount. Until we come to terms with them, we may not have the appetite for growth.  They may be simple things like sleeping, but you will know how drastically your spiritual life may grow if you take responsibility for the mundane things. Paul did not specify in which areas he struggled, but he revealed his personal battles with sin nonetheless. And that’s the key to owning up and challenging yourself to overcome it. What is noteworthy here is that we cannot do this on our own. It is only in Christ that we are victorious (25).  

Third: Chart a growth path and stick to it (1 Cor. 2:2; 1 Tim 4:16; Heb. 12:2). A growth path would involve knowing your starting point and conditions, destination, strategy, and goal. Paul tells the Corinthian church that he determined to know nothing while he was with them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). He tells Timothy to: “Watch [his] life and doctrine closely [and to] persevere in them” (1 Tim 4:16). And the Hebrew writer adds a Jesus-focused race (Heb. 12:2). It means cutting everything and going for the tape. When you choose this course, you will hear the cheers of all the saints of old, encouraging and urging you on to the finishing line (v.1).

Fourth:  Stock up on lots of spiritual food and water. Your food is the word (2 Tim. 2:15); your water is the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16), and your team is the Trinity (2 Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:9). Without these necessary companions, you will lack the energy for the journey (1 Kgs. 19:5-8), dehydration will make you grow weary, and your strength will fail (Is. 40:29-31). 

Remember though, that ravenous wolves stalk the route, ready to pounce on battle-fatigued runners. So, pack well, discipline yourself (1 Cor. 9:26-27) and hold on to the Holy Spirit, and let Him take you across the finishing line. ffffffff